Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed ministers on Wednesday to do their best to rescue people affected in a powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year’s Day.

“Bearing in mind that it is a race against time, utmost efforts should be made in life-saving and rescue operations, putting human life first,” Kishida told a meeting of his disaster response headquarters.

“We have received a lot of information about people who need help, and there are people waiting for help,” he said.

At a press conference after the meeting, Kishida said some 2,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel will be deployed for search and rescue operations, up from an initially planned 1,000, and that the number of rescue dogs will be more than doubled.

The magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck the peninsula and surrounding areas Monday afternoon, with a maximum seismic intensity of 7, the highest on the Japanese scale.

JIJI Press